Apparatus for cleaning the ascension pipes of coke ovens

ABSTRACT

1. Apparatus for cleaning the ascension pipes of a coke oven battery comprising, support means mounted on the coke oven battery above the ascension pipes associated with the coke oven, said support means being movable longitudinally along said coke oven battery, a tubular telescopic rod member rotatably mounted on said support means, said telescopic rod member having a plurality of sections of decreasing outer dimensions so that said sections telescope within each other, means non-rotatably connecting said plurality of sections, a cleaning tool connected to the bottom section of said telescopic rod member, a cable member extending downwardly through a passageway in said tubular telescopic rod member and connected at one end to the lower end of the bottom section, said cable member other end connected to a winch member positioned above said tubular telescopic rod member, means to unwind said cable from said winch and extend said plurality of sections of said telescopic rod member within said ascension pipe, and means to rotate said cleaning tool removes carbonaceous or graphitic deposits from the inner surface of said ascension pipe.

W. STANKE ETA!- 3,841,917 APPARATUS FOR CLEANING THE ASCENSION PIPES orcom ovsns Filed June 5, 1973 42 aa 52 I 72 70 v I28 46 52 5p 44- I LL II I W 26 4a 4a /0 F 60 V32 J United States Patent 3,841,977 APPARATUSFOR CLEANING THE ASCENSION PIPES OF COKE OVENS Walter Stanke, WernerWortberg, and Karl Otto ert,

Essen, Germany, assignors to Heinrich Koppers Gesellschaft mitbeschrankter Haftung, Essen, Germany Filed June 5, 1973, Ser. No.367,238 Claims priority, application Germany, June 21, 1972, P 22 30278.9 Int. Cl. Cb 43/06 U.S. Cl. 202-241 6 Claims ABSTRACT OF THEDISCLOSURE A telescopic rod is mounted on a support positioned above theascension pipes of a coke oven battery and is arranged to movelongitudinally along the coke oven battery to clean the respectiveascension pipes extending upwardly from the coke oven chambers. Thetelescopic rod has a cleaning tool secured to the end portion that isarranged to be positioned in the ascension pipe and rotated by means ofdrive apparatus connected to the telescopic rod. The rod includes alongitudinal passageway therethrough for conveying air to the cleaningtools positioned on the end of the telescopic rod. Suitable retractingmeans is provided to retract the telescopic rod from the ascension pipein order that the cleaning apparatus may be moved to an adjacentascension pipe.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION (1) Field of the Invention This inventionrelates to apparatus for cleaning the ascension pipes of a coke oven andmore particularly to mobile cleaning apparatus for automaticallycleaning the ascension pipes of a coke oven.

(2) Description of the Prior Art The ascension pipes and ascension pipeopenings in the coke oven roof frequently become obstructed bycarbonaceous or graphitic deposits therein. This is especially true withthe ascension pipes on high coke ovens. It is believed the carbonaceousor graphitic deposits begin by flue dust from the coal or coke adheringto the walls of the ascension pipe. The flue dust thus forms the basicstructure for the precipitation of the carbonaceous or graphiticmaterial that thereafter becomes hard.

In the past, the ascension pipes were manually cleaned by means ofelongated rods that were introduced through openings in the upperportion of the ascension pipe. The rods, by a scraping action, removedthe graphitic or carbonaceous deposits from the ascension pipe sidewalls. This manner of manually cleaning the ascension pipes waslaborious and time-consuming. Further, since the cleaning was performedmanually, under ordinary circumstances the ascension pipes of a chargedcoke oven would not be cleaned until the oven was pushed.

There is a need for apparatus to quickly, automatically and eflicientlyclean the ascension pipes of coke ovens.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION This invention is directed to apparatus forcleaning the ascension pipes of a coke oven battery and includes asupport means mounted on the coke oven battery above the ascension pipesof the coke oven, The support means is movable longitudinally along thecoke oven battery. A cleaning tool support member is rotatably mountedon the support means and has a cleaning tool secured thereto. Means areprovided to insert the cleaning tool support member into the ascensionpipe and rotate the cleaning tool support member so that the cleaningtool removes carbonaceous or graphitic deposits from the inner surfaceof the ascension pipe.

The cleaning tool support member includes a telescopic rod that isrotatably supported from a frame member. The telescopic rod has alongitudinal air passageway therethrough which is connected topassageways in the cleaning tool. A blower is provided to deliver airunder pressure through the passageway in the telescopic rod to thecleaning tool. The segments of the telescopic rod are connected to aflexible member which is wound around a winch so that a rod may beextended into the ascension pipe and retracted therefrom.

With the above arrangement, the apparatus is positioned in overlyingrelation with an ascension pipe and the telescopic rod is extended toposition the cleaning tool within the ascension pipe. The telescopic rodis rotated to remove the carbonaceous or graphitic deposits from theinner surface of the ascension pipe.

Accordingly, the principal object of this invention is to provide mobileapparatus for automatically cleaning the ascension pipes in a coke ovenbattery.

Another object of this invention is to provide apparatus for cleaningthe ascension pipes of a coke oven battery when the coke oven is eithercharged or pushed.

These and other objects of this invention will be more completelydisclosed and described in the following specification, the accompanyingdrawing and the appended claims.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The figure illustrates in sideelevation the improved apparatus for cleaning the ascension pipes of acoke oven.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS Referring to the drawing thereis illustrated our improved apparatus generally designated by thenumeral 10 positioned above the coke oven battery having a roof portion12 and a vertical ascension pipe 14 extending upwardly through the roof12 and connected to the opening 16 in the coke oven roof 12. The top ofthe ascension pipe has an elbow 18 which discharges the gaseous productsinto a collecting main 20 that extends longitudinally along the cokeoven battery. The ascension pipe 14 has a top meaning 22 with a lid 24for closing the opening 22. The apparatus for cleaning the ascensionpipe is introduced into the inner portion of ascension pipe 14 throughthe access opening 22.

The cleaning apparatus 10 includes a multi-sectioned telescopic rod 26that has a upper section 28, intermediate sections 30 and 32 and a lowersection 34. The sections 28-34 have decreasing outer diameters so thatthe respective sections can telescope within each other, i.e., the lowersection 34 telescoping within the intermediate section 32 and theintermediate section 32 and 30 sequentially telescoping into the uppersection 28. The rod sections 28-34 are preferably tubular for thepassage of air therethrough, as later disclosed, and for the hoist cableto retract the sections of the rod 26. The sections 28-34 may have ageneral rectangular configuration or have suitable splines and splinereceiving, recessed portions so that the rotation of rod upper section28 is transmitted through the sections 30 and 32 to the lower section34.

A cleaning tool 36 is connected to the lower end of the rod 26 and hascylindrical segments 38 and 40 of different diameters. The conicalconfiguration of the pipe opening 16 in the oven roof in a planeperpendicular to the plane illustrated in the drawing is taken intoconsideration. The rotation of the rod 26 rotates the cleaning tool 36and removes the carbonaceous and graphite deposits on the innercylindrical wall of ascension pipe 14 and further remove any graphiticdeposits in the opening 16 in roof 12.

The cleaning apparatus includes a frame member 42 which is mounted withpropelling wheels 44 and 46 thereon. The wheels 44 and 46 are suitablypositioned on rails 48 and are propelled by a drive mechanismschematically illustrated as a gear 53 secured to the axle 52 for wheels44 and 46. The rails 48 are mounted on a support frame 54 which issecured to the buck stays 56 of the coke oven battery and extendedlongitudinally along the coke oven battery. Thus the frame 42 for thecleaning apparatus is arranged to move longitudinally along the cokeoven battery above the ascension pipe 14.

A drum member or winch 58 is suitably connected to the frame 42 and hasa cable 60 schematically illustrated in the drawing extend downwardlypreferably through the telescopic rod 26 and is secured to the lower endof the rod 26 adjacent the cleaning tool 36. A suitable source ofcurrent, such as a trolley 62, provides power for the drum 58. The rodupper portion 28 has a gear 64 nonrotatably secured thereto that mesheswith a gear 66 rotatably mounted on the frame member 42 and suitablydriven by an electric motor (not shown). A blower 68 is mounted on theframe 42 and is connected by a conduit 70 to an annular conduit 72 thatis suitably connected to the internal passageway formed within thetelescopic rod 26. Air flows downwardly through the passageway withintubular rod 26 and outwardly through the plurality of radial openings 74in the tool portions 38 and 40. A collar 76 is secured to the rodintermediate portion 30 and seats on the ascension pipe opening 22 sothat the opening can also be cleaned for the lid 24 while the internalportion of the ascension pipe is being cleaned by the cleaning tool 36.The cleaning apparatus 10 can be actuated by means of control switches78 which are accessible from the platform 80 above the collecting main20.

With this apparatus, the ascension pipes 14 are rapidly andautomatically cleaned by first positioning the movable frame 42 inoverlying relation with the ascension pipe 14. The lid 24 on theascension pipe is opened to provide access to the inner portion ofascension pipe 14 through opening 22. The winch 58 is actuated to extendthe telescopic rod 26 to the position illustrated in the drawing. Duringthe extension of the rod 26, the rod is rtated by means of gears 64 and66 and air is supplied to the cleaning tool 36 by blower 68.Simultaneously with the cleaning of the internal portion of theascension pipe 14, the seat for the lid 24 in opening 22 is cleaned bymeans of collar 76. After the ascension pipe 14 has been cleaned and allof the graphitic and carbonaceous material removed therefrom, the winch58 is actuated to retract the sections of rod 26 so that the rod isremoved from the ascension pipe 14. Thereafter, the drive mechanism isactuated to move the cleaning apparatus so that the rod 26 is inoverlying relation with an ascension pipe for cleaning. The abovedescribed procedure is repeated during the subsequent operation.

With this arrangement, ascension pipes can be quickly and automaticallycleaned of carbonaceous and graphitic deposits on the inner wall andmore frequent cleaning can take place to remove minor deposits of fluedust before the hard graphitic deposits form on the inner walls of theascension pipe. Further, with this arrangement and apparatus, it is nowpossible to clean the ascension pipes either on a pushed oven or on acharged oven.

According to the provisions of the patent statutes, we have explainedthe principle, preferred construction and mode of operation of ourinvention and have illustrated and described what we now consider torepresent its best embodiments. However, we desire to have it understoodthat, within the scope of the appended claims, the invention may bepracticed otherwise than as specifically illustrated and described.

We claim:

1. Apparatus for cleaning the ascension pipes of a coke oven batterycomprising,

support means mounted on the coke oven battery above the ascension pipesassociated with the coke oven, said support means being movablelongitudinally along said coke oven battery,

a tubular telescopic rod member rotatably mounted on said support means,said telescopic rod member having a plurality of sections of decreasingouter dimensions so that said sections telescope within each other,

means non-rotataby connecting said plurality of sections, a cleaningtool connected to the bottom section of said telescopic rod member,

a cable member extending downwardly through a passageway in said tubulartelescopic rod member and connected at one end to the lower end of thebot tom section, said cable member other end connected to a winch memberpositioned above said tubular telescopic rod member,

means to unwind said cable from said winch and extend said plurality ofsections of said telescopic rod member within said ascension pipe, and

means to rotate said tubular telescopic rod member so that said cleaningtool removes carbonaceous or graphitic deposits from the inner surfaceof said ascension pipe.

2. Apparatus for cleaning the ascension pipes of a coke oven battery asset forth in claim 1 which,

said cleaning tool includes passageways therethrough connected to saidpassageway in said tubular telescopic rod member,

means to supply a gas under pressure through said passageway in saidtubular telescopic rod member to said cleaning tool passageways for flowof said gas under pressure out of said cleaning tool passageways intosaid ascension pipe.

3. Apparatus for cleaning the ascension pipes of a coke oven battery asset forth in claim 1 in which said support means includes,

a frame member mounted on propelling wheels,

said propelling wheels positioned on longitudinally extending rails on asupport member, said support member positioning said fratne above saidascension pipes.

4. Apparatus for cleaning the ascension pipes of a coke oven battery asset forth in claim 3 which includes,

means to propel said frame member.

5. Apparatus for cleaning the ascension pipes of a coke oven battery asset forth in claim 1 which includes,

gear means connecting said telescopic rod member to drive meanspositioned on said support means so that drive means on said supportmeans rotates said gear means and rotates said telescopic rod member.

6. Apparatus for cleaning the ascension pipes of a coke oven battery asset forth in claim 1 in which said tubular telescopic rod memberincludes,

a collar member secured thereto, said collar member arranged to seat inthe opening and rotate with said tubular telescopic rod member to cleanthe opening for the lid.

References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 976,933 11/1910 Schniewind 2022411,796,878 3/1931 Vatson 20224l 3,400,052 9 1968 Olsen 202-24-l 3,480,51411! 1969 Kingler et al 202-270 3 ,45 4,426 7/ 1969 Taylor 202-24 1NORMAN YUDKOFF, Primary Examiner D. SANDERS, Assistant Examiner US. Cl.X.R. l5l04.l; 201-2

1. Apparatus for cleaning the ascension pipes of a coke oven batterycomprising, support means mounted on the coke oven battery above theascension pipes associated with the coke oven, said support means beingmovable longitudinally along said coke oven battery, a tubulartelescopic rod member rotatably mounted on said support means, saidtelescopic rod member having a plurality of sections of decreasing outerdimensions so that said sections telescope within each other, meansnon-rotatably connecting said plurality of sections, a cleaning toolconnected to the bottom section of said telescopic rod member, a cablemember extending downwardly through a passageway in said tubulartelescopic rod member and connected at one end to the lower end of thebottom section, said cable member other end connected to a winch memberpositioned above said tubular telescopic rod member, means to unwindsaid cable from said winch and extend said plurality of sections of saidtelescopic rod member within said ascension pipe, and means to rotatesaid cleaning tool removes carbonaceous or graphitic deposits from theinner surface of said ascension pipe.